Masters - Methods of Data Analysis

As my method of data analysis I have elected to utilise the recursive abstraction method (Polkinghorne 2014). My reasoning for this is that I believe it is the most effective method and flexible method to employ when handling data that has been collected through interviews. The recursive abstraction method will involve me summarising my collected datasets into condensed abstracts and then further summarising those condensed abstracts into bullet-points so as to achieve and be able to present, an end result of compact points of conclusion. It is in effect a way of distilling down a large body of collected text and putting across the ethos of what is being conveyed (Hershkowitz 2001). The caution that must be exercised when utilising the recursive abstraction method of data analysis is that there is the chance of removing some of the meaning and context that is being expressed within the data and that the researcher can in essence under-report their own findings (Bach 2014). The main way of avoiding this error is for the researcher to clearly explain and document their reasoning being the summarising of each point so as to demonstrate when and why particular information has been brought forward and when and why other points of information have been held back.